Neolithic: a summary of the history of the period between 8,000 and 3,000 BC. Agriculture, livestock farming, organization and innovations of the Neolithic.
The Neolithic is the period, from 8,000 to 3,000 BC, that marks the transition from a life based on hunting and gathering to a sedentary, agricultural society. This period, also known as the “New Stone Age”, saw the emergence of the first stable communities, the development of agriculture and livestock farming, and the birth of fundamental technologies such as pottery and architecture. In this article, we will explore the innovations, social changes and discoveries that radically transformed the way of life of man during the Neolithic , laying the foundations for future civilizations.
Agriculture in the Neolithic
Neolithic women were dedicated to gathering wild fruits and it is precisely from their observations that prehistoric man understood the vegetative cycle, realizing that just like him, plants also had a reproduction cycle. Initially, men limited themselves to helping nature, and only later did they move on to real agricultural activity.
Livestock farming in the Neolithic
While women were mainly engaged in agriculture, men hunted . Since the early days of the revolution, men understood that it was more sensible to kill the elders of the pack rather than the young. They also began to understand their reproductive cycle and learned to exploit not only their meat , but also their skin and so on.
Villages in the Neolithic
Starting from the Neolithic revolution , man, thanks to the progress in the fields of agriculture and livestock breeding, became sedentary and founded the first villages, composed of a small nucleus of people who were partly related. The houses were built with bricks, straw and stones and had a circular or quadrangular shape.
The great innovations in the Neolithic
During the Neolithic revolution, man experimented with the use of clay , a material as malleable as it is solid, for cooking food and as a container. Furthermore, one of the most important discoveries was the wheel , which allowed the transport of materials over short distances. Finally, it is important to mention the discovery and use of obsidian and copper as weapons during hunting and textile work .
